Pinion-filling machine.



T. B. STEPHENSON.

PINION FILLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED Aue.24.1917.

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T. B. STEPHENSON.

PINION FILLING MACHINE.

APPLICATIONIFILED AuG.24,1917.

Patented May 28,191&

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IN V EN TOR. WITNESS THOMAS B. STEPHENSON, 0F FORESTVILLE, CONNECTICUT.

PINION-FILLING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May as, rare.

Application filed August 24, 1917. Serial No. 187,985.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS B. STEPHEN- soN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Forestville, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain. new and useful Improvements in Pinion-Filling Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention. relates to a machine for automatically subdividing a plurality of wires, rods, or the like, while held in predetermined group relation, into groups of measured predetermined length.

The machine may be used for various purposes but finds one advantageous specific use as a means for forming the teeth of pinions, such as clock pinions and the like, and automatieally inserting the formed teeth into previously prepared pinion blanks. As is well known, a clock pinion frequently consists of a spindle having axially spaced collars thereon between which are inserted in angularly spaced relation a plurality of small wires, the latter forming the teeth of the pinion. Heretofore, so far as I am aware, these wires have been previously out to length and thereafter inserted manually in the pinion blank. The present invention is concerned, among other things, with a machine which accomplishes automatically to a considerable extent the work that has formerly been done by hand.

An object of the invention is to provide a machine which is adapted to receive and support in predetermined group relation a plurality of wires and is provided with means for successively feeding the wires in steps of predetermined length to cutting mechanism, which successively and simultaneously severs all the wires, while still held ingroup relation, whereby the plurality of wires may be subdivided into groups of wires of equal predetermined length and delivered in the desired predetermined group relation.

Another objectof the invention is to provide in combination with a reciprocable slide arrangbd to receive and support a plurality of wires or the like in predetermined group relation, an improved means to simultaneously and independently grip each wire of the group, whereby the latter may bemoved by the slide, together with means to release the gripping means by shifting them around the periphery of the group to an inoperative position, whereby the slide may move relatively to the wires.

Another object of the invention is to provlde improved cutting mechanism to simultaneously and independently sever each wire of the group while held in the desired predetermined group relation.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide improved cutting mechanism to simultaneously and independently sever each wire of the group while held in the desired predetermined group relation, together with a reciprocable quick return feeding mechanism to grip the wires, advance them to'the cutting mechanism, and then release the wires prior to retraction of the mechanism, the cutting mechanism being characterized in that it is timed to commence its cutting operation simultaneously with the release of the gripping devices for the purpose of grip-- ping the wires and preventing movement thereof during the retraction of the mecha nism and until the wires have again been gripped by the latter. e

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following description and in the appended claims.

The invention, in an embodiment at present preferred, is shown for illustrative purposes in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevational View of the machine;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional elevation taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged partial cross sectional view taken on the line H of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of a part of Fig. 4:;

Fig. 6 is a front elevational view of'the machine;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional elevational view thereof taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary elevational view showing the means for operating the cutting mechanism. 7.

Referring to these drawings and more particularly to Fig. 1, A represents a bed plate which may be supported in any suitable manner, not shown. Stationarily mounted on one end of bed A is a head 9, within which are located cutting mechanism and a discharge magazine for the out articles, as will be later described. A second head 10, within which are gripping devices to be described, is reciprocable toward and away from head 9. The head 10 is fixed to a carriage 11 adjustably secured, as indicated in Fig. 1, to a slide 12' which is movable in suitable ways in bed A (Fig. 2:), against the tension of a spring 13. The latter tends to hold the slide 12 in abutment with a stop screw 14, adjustably mounted in bed A, which screw limits the rearward travel of the slide.

The slide 12 is actuated by the following mechanism: A lever 15, pivoted at 16 to head 9, has a part which lies in the path of a finger 17 fixed on a shaft 18. The latter is driven by gears 19 from a main drive shaft 20, which may in turn be driven from a suitable source of power by the pulley shown in. Fig. 6. A link 21 pivoted at one end to slide 12 is adjustably connected at its other end to lever 15 by an eyebolt 22. On each revolution of shaft 18, finger 17 will engage lever 15 and swing it gradually on itspivot 16 thus advancing head 10 toward head 9 in an obvious manner. As soon as finger 17 is moved out of engagement with lever 15, the slide 12 is quickly drawn back by spring 13 into the position illustrated in Fig. 1, wherein it abuts the stop screw 14. It will thus be seen that the head 10 is moved forward relatively slowly but has a relatively rapid return movement. The eyebolt 22 and screw 14 permit the location of the travel of slide 12 relatively to bed A to be varied within limits for purposes of adjustment, and the eyebolt'22 alone permits variation of the degree of travel as will later appear.

The gripper head10 is best shown in Fig. 3 and has fixed thereto front and rearguide plates 23 and 24 in each of which are a circular series of holes. The holes in plates 23 and 24 are in alinement and are adapted to receive, support, and guide a plurality of cylindrical rods or wires w. Between the plates 23 and 24 is a movable ring 25 and fixed in its periphery is a pin 26, which projects through a suitable slot in head 10 beyond the latter, as shown in Fig. 4, for connection to an actuating means to be described. Fixed on and in concentrical relation with the front guide plate 23 is a spider 27 which has formed in its periphery, as shown in Fig. 5, a plurality of grooves to receive the wires to. The ring 25 has a plurality of radial slots 28 extending there through, one for each groove in spider w, and slidably mounted in these grooves are gripper blocks 29 which are forced inwardly Fig. 5, and when in the former position each gripper block 29 bears against a wire to and holds it by frictional engagement to the spider 27. When the ring 25 is moved to the position shown in Fig. 5, the blocks 29 rest directly on the spider and the head 10, together with the mechanism therein can move relatively to the wires w.

The means for oscillating ring 25 will next be described. Referring to Fig. 1, a cam 31 is fixed to the described shaft 18 and a finger 32, which is slidably supported for vertical movements in a guide 33 fixed to a side wall of head 9 (Figs. 1 and 6), rides on the periphery of cam 31, and is held thereagainst by a spring 34. The upper end of finger 32 is oflset toward the head 10 (Fig. 2) and has a hinged portion 35, which may be removably held thereto by the bolt and thumb nut shown in Figs. 1 and 2'. The portion 35 when positioned, as shown in F1g. 1,- cooperates with that portion of the finger 32 thereinunder to form a slot 36 and an end of the described pin 26 extends within the latter, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The slot 36 permits relative movement between the pin 26 and head 10 in the direction of travel of the latter and the hinged part 35 is preferably provided for the purposes of convenient assembly of parts and for disconnecting pin 26 from its actuating means, when desired. It will be obvious that as cam 31 turns, the notch therein' will come in under finger 32, and the latter will be quickly drawn down by spring 34, to the extent permitted by the cam, and the extent of movement is so adjusted that the pin 26 is swung through an angle sufiicient to move the blocks 29 from the position shown in Fig. 4 to that shown in Fig. 5.

The cutting mechanism will next be described with particular reference to Figs. 6 and 7. Fixed in the head 9 is a disk 38 and on the inner face of the latter is a hardened die 39. Both elements 38 and 39 have a plurality of holes therein which correspond to and aline with the holes in the described members 23 and 24. A disk 40, movably mounted within head 9 and in con centric relation with die 39, has fixed thereon a hardened die 41, which has aseries of holes therein to aline with those in die 39. Disk 40 has an arm 42 thereon which projects through a suitable slot in head 9 (Fig. 6) beyond the latter, and this arm is actuated by means to be described to oscillate the disk at the appropriate time. The oscillatory disk 40 is held so that a face of die 41 is contiguous to a face of die 39 by an adjustable collar 43 in head 9 and a suitable thrust bearing 44, such as the ball hearing shown in Fig. 7.

The means for oscillating the disk 40 will next be described with reference to Figs. 6 and 8. The described lever 42 is normally held against a surface 47 on head- 9 by a spring 48. The end of lever 42 is connected by a link 49 to a lever 50, which is loosely mounted on the described shaft 20. Lever 50 has a roll thereon which rides on the periphery of a cam 51 fixed on the shaft 18. Cam 51 has, inthe order named, a dwell portion 52, a very small rise 53, a short dwell 54, a rapid rise 55, and a sharp letoff portion 56. It will thus be seen that, as cam revolves in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 8, the lever 50 is not moved until engaged by the portion 53. Cam 51 is so mounted on shaft 18, in relation to the finger 17 and cam 31, that during this inter val of rest, the gripper head 10 advances the Wires to the cutting mechanism and, at the end of the feeding movement, lever 50 is moved downwardlyby the portion 53 of the cam to move die 41 just sufi'iciently to grip the wires without severing them. The lever 50 is held in its moved position by the dwell portion 54 until the head 10 has moved back into its retracted position and until the gripper blocks 29 have been moved backinto engagement with the wires w. Thus the latter are always held either by the gripper blocks 29 or by the cutting die 41. As soon as the carriage has returned to retracted position, the portion 55 of the cam rapidly moves lever 50 to cause a movement of die 41 suflicient to sever the dies. After the severing operation, the roll on lever 50 rides off the portion 55 and the let-off portions 56 permits the lever 50 to be drawn sharply upward to normal position by spring 48, whereby the dies 39 and 41 are restored so that the holes in each aline. The lever 50 is then held in the position illustrated by the dwell portion 52 until a succeeding feeding movement of the wires.

On that face of disk 40 opposite from the die 41 are a series of plates 45 secured together and to the die plate. These plates constitute a discharge magazine to receive one or more groups of the cut articles, which groups are successively discharged by ad- Vance movements of the gripper head 10, as will later appear. The plates 45 have a central aperture 46 which is adapted to receive one end of a spindle s, as shown in Fig. 7. The spindle s has spacedcollars 0 thereon each of which has a series of holes corresponding to those in the dies 39 and 41 and in one of the collars the holes pass entirely therethrough, as shown in Fig. 7. The spindle is adapted tobe manually held in the illustrated position with one collar 0 (that one in which the holes extend entirely therethrough) continguous to the outer plate 45, and the spindle s is turned in hole 46 until the holes in collar 0 aline with those in plates 45 at the time of the advance movement of the gripper head, whereby a series of rods will be pushed into the holes in collar 0. The spindles s and collars 0 constitute a blank for a pinion, such as are used in clocks, and the machine described is, in one of its adaptations, arranged to automatically cut wires of the requisite length and automatically insert the cut wires into the pinion blank.

In operation, a series of wires w are fed through the holes in members 23, 24, and 39, while the spider 27 is positioned as in Fig. 5. The ends of the wires may be initially positioned just flush with the outer face of die 39, if desired, or as is usually done, the wires may extend beyond the die 39 into the die 41, for the first pieces cut, although they may not be of the desired length on account of inaccurate initial positioning may be rejected as they emergefrom the magazine plates 45. Having initially fed the group of wires into the machine, its operation is automatic until the supply of wires is used up. With the parts in the relative positions shown in Fig. 1, the gripper blocks 29 are forced against the wires w by the springs 30 and as shaft 18 turns in the direction of the arrow, finger 17 engages lever 15 and advances the gripper head 10. The group of wires is thus forced into the cutter head 9 a distance, which is gaged by adjustment to equal the length of the wires to be inserted in the pinion blank. This distance may be shortened by lengthening out the eyebolt connection 22 and thus swinging lever 15 so that its lower end will be moved a less distance by the finger 17. These parts as illustrated, are adjusted for maximum travel of the gripper head 10.

Immediately as the head 10 reaches the end of its forward movement, the cam 31 has moved into position so that the recess in its periphery underlies slide 32, and the latter is sharply drawn down by the spring 34 to swing ring 25 into the position shown in Fig. 5 and thus release the wires to from the grip of blocks 29. hen the travel of head 10 is varied as described, the necessary adjustment to cause slide 32 to drop at the proper time may be made by turning finger 17 on shaft 18, as the finger is adjustably secured to the latter as indicated in Fig. 6 for this purpose. As the head 9 reaches the end of its forward travel, the cam 51 causes the lever 42 to be moved slightly so that the die 41 starts to turn relative to die 39 at the end of the forward stroke of head 10 for the purpose of gripping the wires to. The latter are thus positively held during the return stroke of the head 10. As has been described, thc'latter returns quickly and thedie 41 is held from turning, so that the wires are not completely severed, until after the head 10 has come to rest, and the wires are gripped by blocks 29. The head 10 remains at rest in its retracted position for a sufficient interval to permit the complete severing of the wires w by the relative turning of dies 39gand 41 and to permit the latter to move back into their normal positions wherein the holes in each register. A succeeding cyclev of operations causes the cut wires to be moved forwardly in the magazine plates 45 and eventually to be discharged or automatically inserted in the collars c of the pinion blank, whichis held by the operator in the position shown in Fig. 6. In. the embodiment illustrated ,-the magazine accommodates two groups of wires, but may accommodate moreor less groups by increasing or diminishing the number of plates 45 or by changing the length of stroke of the head 10. Thus, if the. wires are to be-very short, there will be many groups of wires in the magazine, and one function of the latter is to convey the short wires step by step, while held properly positioned for insertion in the pinion blank, untilthey' reach apoint which isconveniently accessible to the op erator.

-An. important feature of the invention consists in the arrangement for simultaneously yet independently gripping each wire of the group during the feeding movement of head 10.. By the use of the radially movable grippers 29 which are constantly forced either against the wires or thespider 27, I am enabled by the simple expedient of oscillating thering 25 to'move the grippers by a simple movement from an operative to an inoperative position to grip or release the wires. The structure described for these purposes is considered important particularly where it is essential that a plurality of wires or the like be gripped and at the same time held in a definite predetermined group relation. I

The feature of the invention, whereby a plurality of wires or the like may be successively operated upon, as by subdividing the wires into-groups of equal predetermined length, while the supply of wires as well as the several groups of cut wires are. positively held in a definitepredetermined group relationship is also of'particular importance. As distinguished from simultaneously cutting a plurality of wires intogroups of wires'of predetermined length, the present invention is characterized in that the wires of eachvgroup when cut arepositively held in a definite relationship, which is such that.

each-group of wiresmay be successively and automatically assembled in the pinion blanks or other articles by the delivery movement of the wires to the cutting mechanism.

A further feature of importance is the arrangementwhereby the cutting mechanism in addition to its usual function is made to perform an additional function in gripping the wires during the return of the feeding mechanism, and until the wires are gripped by. blocks 29. The wires are thusalways positively held first by blocks 29 and then by die e1; tothe end that creeping movement of the wiresforwardly, in such a* manner as would prevent accurate gaging of the length of the wires, is effectually prevented.

The invention has been described, in an embodiment at present preferred, for the purposes of illustration, but the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description.

WVhat I claim is- 1 In a machine of the character described, the combination with relatively movable members, each provided with means to receive and support in predetermined group relation a plurality of wires or the like, of means associated with one member to simultaneously and independently grip each wire of the group, means to move said members, the one relatively to the other while the wires are held by the gripping means, and means to simultaneously and independentlysever each wire of the group after the relative movement of said members and while the wires are-held in grouped relation.

2. In a machine of the character described,

-a feeding and a cutting mechanism through each of which a plurality of wires or the like may be passed and supported in predetermined: group relation, means to successively move the feeding mechanism to and from the cutting mechanism, means associated with the feeding mechanism and successively operable to simultaneouslyand illdependently grip each wire of the group to feed the lattertlirough the cutting meehanism, means to successively release the wires fronr the gripping.- means, and means to successively actuate the cutting mechanism to simultaneously and independently sever each wire of the group after the release of the gripping means.

In a machine of the character described, afeeding and a cutting mechanism through each of which a plurality of wires or the like may be passed and supported in predetermined group relation, means tosuccessively move the feeding mechanism to and from the cutting mechanism, means associated with the feeding mechanism and successively operable to simultaneously and independently grip each wire of the group to feedtho latter through'the cutting mechanism, means to successively release the wires from the gripping means, and means to successivelyactuate the cutting mechanism to simultaneously and independently sever each wire of the group after the release of the gripping means, and meanstohold the groups of severed-wires in the desired group relation, the severed wires adapted to be discharged from the holding means on a succeeding feeding movement of the feeding mechanism.

4:. A wire tooth pinion filling machine, comprising in combination, a cutting mechanism arranged 'to support "a plurality of wires or the like in predetermined group relation and operable to simultaneously sever all the wires in the group, feeding means to successively move the group of wires by predetermined distances to the cutting mechanism, and a device to receive the groups of severed. wires, said device provided with means to receive an end of apinion blank to be filled, whereby the latter may be supported in position to receive a group of cut wires from the holding means on a succeeding feeding movement of the wires. 3

5. In a machine of the character described, reciprocable and stationary members, each arranged to receive and support in predeterminded group relation a plurality of wires or the like, mechanism associated with one member and successively operable during the movement of the reciprocable member in one direction to simultaneously grip each of the wires, whereby the wires may be fed to the other member, means successively operable during the movement of the reciprocable member in the other direction to release said gripping means, and mechanism successively operable to simultaneously sever all the wires, said mechanism being arranged to grip the wires during the last-named movement of the reciprocable member and to sever the wires before a succeeding firstnamed movement occurs.

6. In a machine of the character described, relatively movable dies disposed in contiguous and concentrical relation, each having a group of openings through which wires or the like may pass, a member movable toward and away from said dies and having means through which a plurality of wires may be passed and supported in the desired group form, means simultaneously to grip each wire while the member moves toward said dies, means to release the wires from said gripping means while the member moves away from the dies, means to oscillate one of said dies to simultaneously and independently sever all the wires of the group, and means to hold the severed wires in the desired group relation until they are discharged by a succeeding feeding movement of said member.

7. In a machine of the character described, relatively movable dies disposed in contiguous and conoentrical relation, each having a group of openings through which wires or the like may pass, a member movable gradually toward and rapidly away from said dies and having means through which a plurality of wires may be passed and supported in the desired group form, means to simultaneously grip each wire while the member moves towardsaid dies, means to release the wires from said gripping means while the member moves away from the dies, means to gradually turn one of said dies,

first in one direction to hold said wires during the return movement of said member and thereafter to simultaneously and independently sever all the wires of the group and then in theother direction until its openings register with those in the other die, and means to hold the severed wires in the desired group relation until they are discharged on a succeeding feeding movement of said member.

8. A feeding device, comprising a reciprocable slide, means associated therewith to receive and support in predetermined group relation a plurality of wires or the like, a gripping device for each wire of the group normally forced against its wire, whereby the slide may advance the wires in unison,

and means operable at the end of the ad Vance movement of the slide to turn the gripping devices relatively to the group of wires around the periphery of the group to simultaneously disengage each gripping device from its wire.

9. In a machine of the character described, a mechanism to operate upon a plurality of wires or the like while supported in predetermined group relation, a member reciprooable toward and away from said mechanism and provided with means in which the wires may be supported in the desired group relation, a part movably mounted in said member, a series of grippers, one for each wire of the group in said part,

means to force said grippers toward the wires and means to oscillate said part rel-a tively to the group of wires, whereby the grippers may be moved into and out of bearing engagement with their respective wires during the advance and return movements of said member.

10. In a machine of the character described, a mechanism to operate upon a plurality of wires or the like while supported in predetermined group relation, a member reciprocable toward and away from said mechanism, a substantially cylindrical part carried by said member and having in its periphery a series of angular spaced grooves, each of which is adapted to receive one wire of the group, a member oscillatable about the .aXis said part, a plurality of grippers radially movable in the last-named member, means to yieldingly force the grippers toward said part, means to oscillate the lastnamed part to alternately bring the gripper in engagement with the wires and with said part, and mechanism to coordinate the lastnamed means with the movement of the firstnamed member, whereby the wires may be simultaneously gripped and released during the feeding and return stroke respectively of the first-named member.

11. In a machine of the class described, a cutting mechanism, a device to feed wires or the like to said mechanism including means to grip the Wires during its feeding stroke and release them during its return stroke, and means to operate the cutting mechanism so that the Wires are gripped during the return stroke of said device and severed aftersaid stroke and before the succeeding feeding stroke, all constructed and arranged so that the Wires are positively held at all times either by the feeding device or by the cutting mechanism.

12. In a machine of the character de scribed, a cutting mechanism for Wires or the like, a device to grip the Wires, means to reciprocate said device and mechanism, the one'relatively to the other, whereby the Wires may be fed to the cutting mechanism on one stroke, means to move the cutting mechanism .to grip said Wires simultaneously with the vrelease of :the gripping device,

means to :hold said mechanism in gripping 20 position during the other stroke of said relative reciprocation, means to restore said device to Wire gripping position, means to THOMAS B. STEPHENSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, ,by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington. D. C. 

